NY Islanders hire Tommy Albelin as Assistant coach

The first news of the day has been announced for the NY Islanders, as Lou Lamoriello has hired Tommy Albelin as an assistant coach, joining Patrick Roy, John MacLean, and Benoit Desrosiers behind the bench for the 2024-25 season.

Albelin has been part of the Swiss National Team since 2016, serving as an assistant coach at the World Championships, World Junior Championships, and the Olympic Games.

Before that, Albelin spent eight seasons with the NJ Devils organization as an assistant from 2007-2015. Four of those seasons were at the NHL level while the other four were with the Albany River Rats of the AHL.

Along with his coaching accruments, Albelin played parts of 18 seasons in the NHL with the Devils, Quebec Nordiques, and the Calgary Flames.

In the 12 seasons, Albelin played in New Jersey, all were under Lamoriello as the team's GM. Lamoriello traded for Albelin in his second year in charge with New Jersey, acquiring the Swedish defenseman for future considerations on December 12, 1988, as the two won a Stanley Cup in 1995. In 2001, Lamoriello brought Albelin back to New Jersey at 37 years old, as he was part of the team that brought the Devils their third Stanley Cup in 2003.

Albelin is a name that likely was not on many people's radar, but has been a Lamoriello guy for nearly two decades. After Roy brought in Desrosiers last season, hiring him from the Gatineau Olympiques, it appears as if Lamoriello had plenty of say in this hiring.

Albelin will replace Doug Houda, who was recently released from his duties with the team, and take over the league's worst penalty kill from a season ago.

With less than two hours from the official start of free agency, Roy, Albelin, and the staff may have some new faces on the roster within a matter of hours.